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Thursday, August 27, 2009

While the automobile is a commonly used product, it is an extremely complex and technologically sophisticated one. Manufacturing new cars requires state-of-the-art technological methods and processes. In addition, supplier industries of the automotive manufacturing industry, such as steel and other parts as well as electronic instrumentation, are vital in providing the necessary supplies and components for assembling motor vehicles.

To improve product quality and efficiency in production, automakers invest a large amount of time and money into developing and improving the manufacturing process, and rely heavily on research and technological innovation. Over the last 75 years, significant technological development has taken place, changing and reinventing how motor vehicles are produced.

Technology has increasingly altered the manufacturing process for motor vehicles. While cars are produced at faster rates, automakers must continue to balance increased productivity and efficiency with quality and innovation. Modern technologies used in advancing manufacturing for the automotive industry include:

Programmable machines and tools;

Near-Net Castry;

High speed data communication and data management;

Supercomputing;

Virtual manufacturing and complex visualization techniques;

Advanced forging techniques.

Over the last 25 years, automation technology has become an essential part of automobile assembly plants. A typical assembly plant uses several hundred robots to build and paint the vehicle frame. 2 While robotic technology continues to grow in assembly plants, the technology does have limitations, especially in performing more delicate tasks. The advent of Intelligent Assist Devices, in particular Cobots (Collaboratiave robots), aided in reducing ergonomic concerns, while also improving safety, quality and productivity. Cobots, developed by Northwestern University and General Motors Corporation, are designed to work in collaboration with human operators to move objects and perform physically demanding tasks on vehicle assembly lines.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Led by a smart recovery in developed sector, industrial production enlargement accelerated to 7.8 per cent in June compared to 2.7 per cent a month ago.developed sector, which accounts for two-thirds of the industrial production, recorded a growth of 7.3 per cent in June indicating return of consumer demand in the market.

Consumer durables and capital goods grew by 15.5 per cent and 11.8 per cent, respectively - the strongest expansion in several months.The trend in the first district, however, remained subdued at 3.7 per cent mainly due to lower production in the first two months of the period.

In the same month last fiscal, the industry grew by 5.4 per cent. However, the growth was 5.3 per cent in the first quarter a year ago.Commenting on the recovery of the industrial sector, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, "I always expect the positive trend (in industrial growth) to continue. However, weak monsoon could have some negative impact on the overall GDP."

According to the IIP data, 12 out of 17 industrial segments during June recorded positive enlargement compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

FCVs like the one above use pure hydrogen as fuel, stored onboard the vehicle in highly pressurized tanks. Other FCVs are designed to use a liquid fuel such as gasoline or methanol, which is stored in a conventional, non-pressurized tank. FCVs using these fuels also need a reformer-a fuel processor that breaks down the fuel into hydrogen for the fuel cell, carbon dioxide, and water.

Although this process generates carbon dioxide, it produces much less than the amount generated by gasoline-powered vehicles.Fuel cell vehicles can also be equipped with regenerative braking systems that capture the energy usually lost during braking and store it in an up-sized battery.